Pac-10 Tournament Championship: USC-ASU

One more! What an unbelievable victory for the Trojans last night over UCLA. I thought the Trojans would win, but I didn't think it would come in such dominating fashion. The Trojans never trailed in the game and were the better team throughout. Some might think this puts the Trojans in position for an at-large bid even with a loss today, but that's not the mind set the Trojans should have. They have to come out with the same fire, passion, and energy that we've seen in the first two games of this tournament. And trust me, they will.

It will be a dog fight this afternoon as the Trojans face ASU for the third time this season. The teams split their regular season meetings, each team winning at home. The Sun Devils don't have much to play for today. The Trojans have everything on the line. In the last meeting in Tempe, the Tim Floyd picked up two technical fouls in the final minute and the Trojans lost a heart breaker. The Trojans will definitely remember that game when they walk on the court today, and hopefully will play with a chip on their shoulder. Here are the keys to victory.

1. Contain James Harden. USC has played the best defense against the star guard of anyone that has played the Sun Devils. In the first meeting, Daniel Hackett was in Harden's face all night, not even allowing him to catch the ball. Harden was held without a field goal and tallied a career low four points. Even in the second meeting, Harden only put up six field goals and made five, tallying 13 points. Daniel Hackett's ball denial defense is absolutely crucial to the outcome of this game. Also, the Trojans can't foul Harden when he gets in the lane. He shoots more free throws than anyone in the Pac-10. He's the best player in the conference for a reason, but if you make him a jump shooter, he's nothing special. ASU is largely a one-man team, so containing Harden is far and away the priority item for the Trojans.

2. Be patient against the zone defense of ASU. The Sun Devils use a very complicated match up zone that can really throw opponents off. USC has seen it twice now, so they should know what to expect. The key is to not rush to find a good shot. Swing it around the perimeter, drive when you find a seam, but don't rush. It is essential that the Trojans jump shooters have a good day today because it is very tough to go inside against the zone.

3. Limit turnovers. This is one thing the Trojans did not do well yesterday. They turned the ball over 28 times and it nearly cost them the game in the closing minutes. Daniel Hackett had 10 turnovers himself. USC must be patient and not try to do too much. Luckily for them, ASU's defense isn't quite as good as UCLA's. Even so, the Trojans must take care of the basketball and not give the Sun Devils too many free opportunities.

4. Get some kind of bench production. This could be the X-factor in the game for both teams. Both ASU and USC got 3 points from their bench yesterday. If either team has a big advantage in bench points today, it very well may be the difference. Leonard Washington and Nikola Vucevic must be productive when they come into the game and give the Trojans some energy and spark.

5. Get off to a good start. The Trojans have done an excellent job of this so far in the tournament. In fact, they have done so well that they haven't trailed for a single minute yet in two games. This was a problem for them during the regular season, but we've seen how important it is here. In the championship game, you want to establish momentum early and send a message to ASU. A good start is a must today.

6. DeMar DeRozan must continue to be the MVP of this tournament. Arizona State has no answer for the stud freshman. He put up 22 on the Sun Devils at Galen Center and put up 16 more in Tempe. He carried the Trojans down the stretch last night and it seems like he plays better in big games. In addition to his scoring, his rebounding has been phenomenal. He gets higher than anyone else on the floor. The Trojans need one more big performance from DeRozan to carry them into the NCAA Tournament.

This is the season for the Trojans. Although the regular season didn't live up to expectations, it can all be made up for with a win this afternoon. The Trojans are playing like they're on a mission right now and it's the best I've ever seen them play in two years. One more for the Pac-10 title. One more to keep the dream alive and shock the nation. Let's play! Fight On!